From The Ashes
by NattieGirl99
Summary: When class of 2007 receive the shock of their lives when someone they never expected to see again is suddenly back. How will they deal with learning that the past five years have been a lie? One-shot


**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters!**

**Credits to my beta reader: B00kw0rm92**

* * *

A young man was sitting in a cab, on the way to his old best friend's house. He had looked it up and found the address as soon as he found out the last member of the gang was either dead or in jail. It had been five years since he had seen anyone of his old friends, five years since he had left everything he had ever known.

He sighed when he finally saw the house of his best friend. He was about to have to explain everything. It was a long and complicated story that he was not looking forward to telling, but he had a feeling he'd be repeating it a lot.

He walked up to the house. The flowers in the yard make him wonder if his friend had found someone. He couldn't help but wonder how much he had missed?

Toby Isaacs answered the door and froze in shock when he saw the other man. He stared at him for a few moments before finally stuttering out, "J-JT?".

"Yeah... I'm alive." JT began awkwardly.

"How? The doctor said you were dead! We held a funeral!" Toby managed to say through his confusion.

"Let me explain before you get too mad." He said. Taking a deep breath he began his long story of what happened 5 years ago.

"I wasn't stabbed in the aorta. I was stabbed but it was near enough that it was believable with all the blood. It wasn't that serious. They had barely finished stopping the bleeding when a police officer came into the room to question me. When I told him the name of the guy who had stabbed me, he recognised it instantly. He was a gang member - a member of the same gang that was after my parents."

Toby cut in, looking even more confused, "Wait! Your parents died in a car crash." Toby said.

"They're kinda alive too."

Toby was completely lost, "Just come inside and then explain." he said.

JT walked into the house and sat on the couch before speaking again, "After I healed, I was put in the Witness Protection Program with my parents. My parents were already there because they witnessed a member of the gang kill someone. They turned them in but the gang was after them. They went into the program but they didn't want that kind of life-style for me. But then I had too. The gang members were out for me for more than just taking their ex - they wanted me dead because of my parents. My grandma made it a closed casket funeral so no one would find out. I've lived in Atlanta, Georgia by the name of Jacob Jones for the last five years, but now all the gang members are either dead or in prison and I can come back. I can come home." JT finished his story and looked at the confused Toby in front of him.

"How could you leave us thinking you were dead!" Toby said.

"It was either fake my death or stay and really die later. I knew I had a chance of coming back one day! I had no choice, Toby. I didn't want you to have think I was dead, but there wasn't another way." It took Toby a moment but he stood up and hugged his friend.

"Have you told Liberty yet?" Toby asked.

"No. I'm too nervous about that. You're the first I've told." he answered, "So, hows your life been? What have I missed?" He asked.

"Well, I have a wife and ... obviously I moved. I've kept in touch with most of everyone. Dude, everyone's gonna freak when they hear you're alive." He smiled and grabbed the phone. "You have to tell them all!"

"I want to talk to Liberty first. Face to face." JT said. "But I'm really nervous! She thought I was dead for five years and ... I loved her. I still love her."

"Okay. I understand." Toby said and gave him Liberty's address. JT smiled and headed toward the door.

Toby stopped him. " Wait! Should I call everyone else and tell them?"

"Uh. Sure. It might go better if they don't think a dead man is calling them at first." JT said nodding his head before he headed to Liberty's house.

* * *

He walked up to Liberty's house, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door. In a few moments, Liberty opened the door. She backed away when she saw him, looking shocked and scared, "W-What!" She stuttered.

"I'm alive." JT said nervously. "It's a long story but I promise, I'm alive!"

"This is impossible! You're lying. Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm JT, Liberty! I'm not dead!" JT told her before she slapped him.

"JT is dead! He's dead! I held him after he was stabbed, he's dead!" she insisted.

"Liberty! Please just let me explain before you get too mad." JT said, walking in her house. Liberty cautiously watched him as he went and sat on a chair.

"Let me start from the beginning." JT said before repeating the same story he had told Toby, "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you, so sorry. They said family only and it was the only way we might have a chance someday.

Liberty was shocked she finally realized that JT was alive! With tears streaming down her face, she leaned in a kissed him.

"I've always loved you Liberty." JT said.

"Me too." she replied with a smile.

* * *

Toby reached for the phone, deciding to call Emma and Spinner first.

He dialed the number and waited until for someone to pick up, "Hello?" Emma said.

"Emma! You and Spinner have to come over. It's really important, but I promise you're going to like it!" Toby said.

"Umm. What's wrong?" She asked.

"The people who stabbed JT were part of a gang - he went into the Witness Protection Program. But now the gang is all gone now and JT showed up at my house. Emma, JT isn't dead." Silence was on the other end.

"W-What!" Emma squeeked. "We'll be right over!" She said before hanging up and a few minutes later, Emma and Spinner were at the door.

"Where is he?" Emma asked.

"He went to tell Liberty. He should be back soon." Toby said.

"I hope he is. I can't believe we spent five years thinking he was dead. Why didn't he tell us? This is impossible!" Emma scrambled out.

"He couldn't! He had no other choice. They would have ended up killing him later. He knew he had a chance of coming back if he did this and he was right." Toby explained.

"But..." Spinner was about to say something when suddenly the door opened and JT and Liberty walked.

Emma stared at JT with shock on her face. "This is impossible. I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming."

JT stared at his friends, they were both standing by each other wearing weeding rings. "Something you forgot to tell me?" JT asked Toby with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" his friend asked, confused.

"Emma and Spinner!" JT said.

"Oh! They're married. I'm sorry, just ... with everything else. It's hard to remember just how much you don't know." Toby explained.

"What! What are you going to tell me now? Manny and Sean?" JT asked.

"No. Manny is with Jay and.." Emma said.

"Manny is with Jay! What happened while I was gone?" questioned JT, baffled.

"And Sean is with Ellie." Spinner finshed Emma's sentence.

"Well, at least that makes since. But really, You and Spinner! Manny and Jay!" JT said to Emma.

"Yeah." Emma answered. "A lots happened since you 'died'. Has my brother-in-law informed you of who else is together?"

JT was confused for a second before turning to Toby saying "Kendra! You married Kendra!".

"Yeah." Toby said, "Once she came back from boarding school, we got together."

"Well, Emma, who else is together? I need to know this stuff." JT said as he put an arm around Liberty.

* * *

**Well, I'm starting a new story. I hope you liked this. I will update as soon as I can but reviews encourage me to write more! **


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